


Rendezvous

by yamirenamon



Category: Gears of War (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-01-30 17:23:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12658056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamirenamon/pseuds/yamirenamon
Summary: Azura had been captured weeks, not days, ago. Chairman Prescott didn't flee quick enough. Now he's a captive that's got to match the Queen at her own game. Takes place during Gears of War 3.





	1. A Set Trap

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to make a copy of this fic over from my FF.net as I am more active on this site now. I started this fic back in 2012 and, thankfully, my interest in continuing this story has been revived.

Straight answers had always been the main goal that no one could ever reach. The war was finally over. There was no second-guessing, no groups of stragglers left to kill. Every Locust and every Lambent had been destroyed not more than a few hours ago.

_'You're a scientific man. Look at this later and try to understand what I wanted to do and what I had to do.'_

Damon Baird held the disk Professor Fenix handed him before the final fight. At least this one wouldn't need an encryption disk to read. The professor's office was the first place that came to Baird's mind. The computers in the room probably held more information than what was on the disk. Baird began to make his way back to the overly lavished building. There was still a bloody mess where they had last fought. And a dead Queen lay with her kind.

"Shame you can't talk anymore," Baird said in his usual sarcastic tone.

There were reasons behind everything she did. The mystery between her and the late professor still gnawed at his mind. Baird continued to stare at her bloodied body while his mind conversed with itself. The only disappointment he felt was that he'd never know what happened. Not from Myrrah's perspective anyway. He was about to continue his path indoors when he spotted an extremely odd detail. The mechanic squatted near the body to get a closer look. It was barely noticeable from all the blood and heavy armor that surrounded her shoulders. A cog tag. A single cog tag. Baird tugged the chain free from around her neck. He wiped some of the blood off of it with his thumb to get a read on the name inscribed on it.

PRESCOTT, RICHARD

"Uh, guys!"

\-----

The office reminded Anya of the Fenix estate. She had visited that mansion only a few times. Azura had that similar feeling of being a museum rather than a place to live. For Adam, this office would have felt more like a prison than anything else. It was a large room filled with countless books and multiple security screens. The cameras that monitored almost every main area in the buildings were still running. The only activity they now showed were those of gears. It was still hard to believe all of this existed without their knowledge. The desk was surprisingly organized with only a single computer and a few books and papers neatly arranged on it. Not that she was searching for anything in particular. Anya casually flipped through some of the papers. Almost all of them were notes about the immulsion and the Lambent. One notebook did not. A leather, dark navy notebook stood out from the rest. Anya recognized the handwriting when she opened the cover.

_Understand what a world had to do to survive._

All of the repulsed feelings returned to her. Anya was more than familiar with Prescott's secrecy. But Azura was the final draw. She doubted reading his written excuses would change her opinion of him.

' _I don't think I could stomach reading any of this_ ,' Anya thought.

She closed the book and was about to leave it but a stray paper corner caught her eye. The edge of a glossy paper stuck out from the top corner of the book. It was a photo. Anya pulled it from its place and saw the most unexpected. The image of the Locust Queen looked right back at her. The photo had been taken close-up and bore no signs of wear or age. Anya picked up the book and hoped that she had not lost the place it had marked. Much to her surprise, there was a slight gap where numerous loose photos were shoved in one spot. Most of the photos fell onto the desk when she opened it. Almost every single one of them had Myrrah's image on it. In some, she was fully armored. In others, she wore only her base suit with her pale blonde hair neatly pulled up. A few others were alarmingly close range pictures of an Armored Kantus. Only one was of Prescott. And all of them looked as if they were taken within Azura. Anya's mind raced in fear of what they meant. She emptied the photos from their place to find a second introduction inked onto the page.

_Too many times have I had to ask for forgiveness. I had hoped mankind would understand our actions, my decisions, with so much in this war. If I have managed to find Sgt. Fenix then I have told him that Azura had been captured days ago. It wasn't. I can't remember how many weeks it has been. I wish I was able to apologize for my betrayal to the human race. But I can't. I won't._

_\-----_

The screaming and the gunfire had almost completely died out. The mostly unarmed scientists and civvies didn't stand a chance against the horde that flooded into Azura without warning. Richard Prescott would have escaped sooner had not the encryption key still be in his personal quarters. And the disk from Adam. Prescott hated that it had come down to this. His last secret, human kind's last hope for survival, was about to be exposed. Azura had been kept quiet in order to keep it away from the enemy. How the Locusts managed to find the island was just as baffling as it was frustrating. He had to find help. Prescott had to make it out of here alive. He was greatly outnumbered. Most of the Locusts within the buildings were Armored Kantus and Theron Guards. Opening fire on one would only attract the rest. Sneaking around them was not easy and took far longer than he had wished. His room looked the least disturbed. The Locusts would have left it shortly after failing to find anyone hiding in it. Prescott spared no second as he reached the locked desk drawer. Except that it was already open. Everything was still in place, but the lock was broken from being forced into. The sudden sound of moving water startled him. Prescott drew his pistol again with his full attention at the partially closed bathroom door. The intruder was aware of his presence. He could hear soft footsteps against the tile floor. Footsteps that didn't sound like they belonged to any Locust. The door opened and a completely nude and soaked woman stared back at him.

"Oh, shit! Forgive me!" Prescott quickly diverted his eyes and lowered his pistol.

"What are you doing in my room? No! Better question – Why are you still here?"

Prescott took a quick double-take and saw that she made no effort to cover herself.

"This is your room?" she finally spoke.

"Just...put some clothes on, miss. We've got to get out of here," Prescott returned to the desk drawer.

_There are Locusts right outside the door! We need to get out of here now!_

Prescott tried to push the new memories to the back of his mind as he went to collect both disks. He had to stay focused if they were to make it out of Azura alive. But he was quickly tackled to the floor. Prescott swore from the sudden pain pounding in his head. The woman was now straddled on top of him. She must have been in the bath for he could feel water beginning to soak his clothes as it ran off of her. Time has never been more crucial in his life and his mind was screaming at him to make a run for it. But his body had other intentions. And getting a good look at her did not help. Her long, blonde hair clung to her shoulders and blue eyes studied him without a single worry about what was going on outside the room. She suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He could also feel her bare chest against his. That wasn't helping either.

"Where are we going?" she asked when she broke the kiss.

"I...uh...," Prescott muttered.

The anxiety and adrenaline from earlier were being quickly replaced with burning anticipation.

"I really think that we should continue...this...," Prescott drew a sharp breath when he felt the fabric of his shirt being tugged loose," later."

"You talk too much," the woman said as she guided her hand underneath his shirt.

His muscles tensed under her touch and his hand quickly grabbed her forearm. But he made no effort in stopping her touch from guiding further up his chest. A smirk crossed her face in satisfaction to the Chairman's easy surrender. Prescott bit his lower lip trying to remain silent when her other hand began undoing his belt. He never expected any woman to be this hasty. Prescott lifted himself up slightly and kissed her neck. Her hands stopped and her body tensed up for a moment in surprise. But her composure returned just as quickly and her fingers resumed their work. She let out another surprised, but soft, noise when Prescott pulled them both down to the floor. Cold air his skin when his pants were dragged to his knees. She was teasing him now. Prescott could feel her inner thighs rubbing against him. His breathing became more labored and he bucked his hips slightly upward to feel her close to him. She pressed her lips against his in another kiss. A kiss that muffled his moan when he felt herself lower on him. He slightly shuddered at the feeling of her heat surrounding him. Prescott moved his hips upwards again almost reflexively. The woman let out a groan and broke the kiss. Sitting up she put both of her hands on his stomach to keep him still for a moment while she continued to adjust to him.

"Sorry," Prescott quickly apologized for causing her discomfort.

She didn't reply but began to move steadily and slowly. An almost inaudible moan could be heard within her heavy breathing. She seemed more gratified at his pleasure than her own. Even at his release, she ceased her movements, uninterested in reaching her own release. Prescott studied her face, trying to read her objective as he tried to catch his breath. Reality snapped back to him when he heard the bedroom door open loudly.

"Shit!"

Adrenaline rushed through his veins once again as he scrambled to reach for his pistol on the floor. She beat him to it and tossed his only weapon at the Armored Kantus that came through the door.

"Leave this one alive as well."

Complete horror gripped at Prescott's very core. He quickly backed to the far corner of the room while attempting to put his clothes back on.

"You! You're!" he couldn't say it.

Myrrah only smiled cunningly as she made her way back to the bathroom.

_Oh shit, what have I done! Shit! Shit!_

She reappeared into the bedroom in only a full, red bodysuit with the rest of her armor in hand as she made her exit.

"That was too easy."


	2. Imprisoned

Failure, nothing but utter failure. Prescott couldn't recall ever a time he was angrier with himself than the dilemma he landed himself into. His only chance of escape, of saving humanity, had been carelessly tossed away.

_You had to give into her, didn't you? And of all women._

He sat in the same corner Myrrah had left him hours ago. Prescott's crossed arms rested on his knees as he stared at the bedroom door. He could hear the Locusts on the other side, most likely guarding his room. He diverted his attention to the broken desk drawer. The encryption disk was still inside it. Not that it was going to serve many purposes being stuck on the island. The only other personal items that had been locked inside the drawer were the pair of cog tags he received during his brief service in his younger years, if you would even call it that, and a leather notebook that contained the unfinished draft of his  _Memoirs_. Prescott slammed the drawer closed and began pacing about the room.

_'That's how she knew!'_

The only other thing that occupied his frustrated mind was finding out if Adam was still alive. Prescott remembered what Myrrah had said earlier. She was keeping at least one other person alive. The scientists would have been the only ones worth sparing. Prescott was now debating whether it was worth the risk to radio the professor. Prescott and the Onyx Guards kept a communicator. The only scientist that kept a receiver was Adam and it remained in his office. Prescott kept the channel closed most times to avoid distracting Adam with his vital work. Finding out the professor's status would be simple. But if anyone, or anything, else was in that office then they'd be able to hear everything. Prescott stopped his pacing and paused for a minute before switching his tac comm on.

"Fenix. Professor are you still there?" Prescott simply said.

Waiting on a response was more anxious than his decision to radio Adam in the first place. The wait seemed to drag on forever. Prescott was about to call in a second time before Adam's voice spoke into the earpiece.

"Prescott? Where are you?"

Prescott was more than relieved to hear the professor.

"I'm trapped in my room," was all Prescott could manage to say at the moment.

He began to worry again when the professor didn't respond for a moment.

"Trapped?"

"I ran into a bit of a delay."

"Is that what you humans call it?" Myrrah's voice rang into the earpiece.

Prescott released his finger from the receiver and clenched his hands in frustration. He realized that maybe he wouldn't need to explain why he failed to locate Marcus. Though Prescott couldn't determine if that was a desirable thing or not. His radio fell completely silent. There was no way of telling if Myrrah planned to keep the other scientists alive if any of them still were. Prescott began to wonder exactly how long he was going to be sparred. His attention snapped back towards the door when he heard it open. He dared not to move when a Locust stared back at him. It was another Armored Kantus. The armored look was new. None of the front-line Gears had ever reported any Locust matching its appearance. But the tall, thin stature, along with its wide jaws, made it clear that it was a Kantus. For a moment Prescott wished that it was their Queen that stood before him instead. Nothing was as terrifying than the sight of those inhuman creatures up close. The Kantus didn't make any advances towards him. It only growled some incoherent noise before tossing a half-opened box of ration bars on the floor, leaving the Chairman alone in the room once again.

_'Nice to know I'm not being starved to death.'_

He waited a few moments before retrieving the packaged food. Prescott never knew why ration bars were stored here when there were finer delicacies grown on the island. How long those would last was something he didn't want to think about right now. He gave a mental "thanks" to whoever had the idea to bring the bars and shoved a few into his pockets. And only a few minutes afterward was Prescott's wish granted when Myrrah was the next one to walk through the door.

"You don't need me alive," Prescott said flatly.

Myrrah stared back at him. His choice of words was bold, too bold. Prescott had his suspicions to why she chose to keep him alive. The monstrous growls and hisses coming from the open doorway made the Chairman even more nervous. But he knew the issue would have to be confronted eventually.

"I don't," Myrrah spoke, almost indifferent to what he just said, "The only one I need alive is Adam."

That answered the fate for the rest of the scientists and civvies.

"So then it's just a game."

"You can try your luck against my horde. But I believe they are the least of your worries. Do tell me, what exactly is the punishment for high treason amongst you ground walkers?"

Prescott immediately recalled Marcus and the incident that lead to his sentence in the slab. Obviously, there were worse circumstances to face beside execution by the hands of the enemy.

"Now leave me be," Myrrah casually waved her hand towards the door.

Before Prescott had time to move he felt a strong grip on his shoulders that dragged him from the room.

"Let me go!" Prescott struggled to free himself from his aggressor.

Turning the best he could he saw that it was one of the Therons that had a hold of him. And it did not release its grip on Prescott till Myrrah had shut them out of Prescott's quarters. The unarmed man now stood before Myrrah's vicious army. With his back against the hallway wall, Prescott began to frantically feel for a door that would still promise some security. The few elite Locusts kept their eyes on his every move. None of them made any attempts to attack. But Prescott was not about to trust their Queen's orders. After grazing by a few broken doors he managed to stumble into one of the neighboring bedrooms and locked the door. He then began rummaging through the room. It became quickly apparent that of all the rooms the chairman was lucky enough to find one that had once belonged to one of the Onyx Guards. Old armor and equipment were found in one of the closets. The chest armor wasn't nearly as strong as the latest models his bodyguards were last seen wearing. Prescott knew it wouldn't save his ass against the Locusts. But every small sense of security was worth the hassle. Prescott didn't have the same luck in finding any weapons. After admitting defeat with the weapons search he began to try securing the bulky torso armor onto himself. Cog armor was nearly impossible to equip and remove without help.

"Dammit! Come on!"

The adrenaline that still ran through his blood only aggravated him even more. After fighting with the armor Prescott managed to lock it in place. The only thing left to do was wait, again. Waiting for hours to pass with nothing to occupy him but his thoughts and the sounds of the enemy just beyond the door. Prescott supposed this was what prison felt like. A prison with all the elegance of a five-star hotel. He checked the time on his watch. It was nearly two in the morning. Not that he really needed a watch's number to tell him that. Prescott felt completely exhausted. He leaned against the open doorway of the bathroom, sitting on the floor, and stared at the bedroom's locked door. It was the furthest spot in the room that still had the main door in sight. Prescott found himself dozing into short naps before jerking back awake to the sound of one of the Locusts. Knowing those creatures were still out there meant that he'd probably never have a decent night's sleep ever again.


	3. Coffee and Cigarettes

"Prescott!"

The sleep-deprived man startled awake at the sound of his name spoken into his ear.

"Prescott, are you there?"

"Yeah," Prescott responded as he stretched his stiff shoulder, "I'm still alive."

Adam's voice was the first human one to snap him awake. Prescott was convinced that the locusts never slept. Their noises had quiet down. But even the slightest sound of their existence kept him awake.

"However long that will last. Is she with you?"

"No. Queen Myrrah locked me in my lab shortly after you radioed me. She hasn't returned since."

"Bitch kicked me out of my own room. Do these creatures ever sleep?!" Prescott said in an aggravated tone.

"Sleep habits vary among each species. But in general, they can survive on fewer hours of sleep than we do."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Prescott rubbed his forehead.

He forgot for a moment that he was talking to a scientist and he'd receive a literal answer to such questions. All Prescott wanted was some sleep. And quite possibly some decent food. The food ration bars he managed to grab didn't last too long. After searching through his now empty pockets he checked his watch. It was near five in the morning. He wasn't sure if he'd be lucky enough to have room service once again. Not that he wished to have another Locust walk through the door. But it was preferable to the other option in his mind.

"If Myrrah catches us on the comms too often, between the two of us, she'll kill me first for interrupting your work," Prescott said.

"Just be careful. I won't be able to persuade Myrrah into keeping you alive should she change her mind."

"I'll keep the channel open."

Prescott opened the door just enough to peek through the crack. The noises could still be heard. But much to his luck there wasn't a single Locust in close proximity. It was deja vu sneaking out. The mixture of anxiety and fatigue made Prescott feel slightly nauseous. The heavy armor and boots made more noise than he expected. He hoped above all that it wouldn't catch the attention of the Locusts. Prescott finally reached the closest break room. It looked more like a small kitchen with all the large appliances. The main kitchen was located near the dining hall. With Azura's grand size these smaller rooms provided a convenient break between scheduled meals. Prescott scanned the unoccupied room before heading straight for the pantry. Its contents consisted mostly of glass jars filled with preserved food. He managed to find snack bars that looked more promising than the ration bars. Prescott underestimated exactly how tired he was and one of the jars crashed to the floor.

"Shit!" Prescott swore under his breath as he quickly turned his attention to the open archway.

The break room didn't have a door. And even if it had the noise would have still been heard outside. Prescott stared at the doorway, his heart pounding in his ears, expecting one of those creatures to attack. But none did. Prescott resumed pocketing the packaged snacks, all while keeping his attention to the open doorway. He was about to make his way out when he noticed the coffee maker was full. It must have automatically brewed an hour or two ago for it was still hot to touch. Prescott grabbed a mug to take with him. But he quickly regretted his decision to stay in that room longer than he needed to. He almost spilled the coffee when he heard the clank of metal draw closer. The Armored Kantus had returned once again. It made no hostile advances, but that didn't comfort the chairman. The Kantus simple stared at him, leaning slightly forward and breathing heavily. Without moving his own gaze, Prescott slowly placed the mug on the counter and pushed it as far away from himself as he could from where he stood. The Kantus looked at the drink and walked towards Prescott. The Kantus stopped only to pick up the mug.

"That's hot," Prescott said.

The Kantus downed the mug with no regard to Prescott's warning. It smacked its jaws a few times while staring at the empty cup. Prescott quirked an eyebrow at the creature's heat tolerance. He moved the rest of the coffee towards the Kantus. Prescott cautiously moved past the preoccupied Kantus and made his way back to his quarters. It was a force of habit to walk through that door. Myrrah was at the edge of the large bed studying Prescott's  _Memoirs_. She was dressed in what appeared to be undergarments.

"Put your clothes back on!" Prescott quickly diverted his gaze.

"I didn't expect you to want another round so soon," Myrrah said calmly, not even bothering to look up from the journal.

"It wouldn't have happened at all had I known who you were!"

"I do not recall your haste in inquiring my identity at the time," Myrrah replied.

Prescott left without another word. He was able to avoid the Locusts once again in the short distance to the room he had spent the night. He tossed the contents of his pockets onto the dresser before heading towards the bed. The bulky armor was uncomfortable to lay in even under the bed's cushion. Prescott didn't bother trying to remove it for it would only be one more losing battle. The quilted comforter muffled Prescott's selective choice of words before he unintentionally fell asleep. Though his nap didn't last too long. Prescott woke to the sound of the Locust once again, except this time it was only one creature he heard. And it was closer than he preferred. Prescott had managed to turn on his side in his sleep even with the bulky armor. His eyes flew open to the sight of the Armored Kantus standing at the side of the bed. Prescott screamed and scrambled across the bed trying to distance himself from the Kantus. After the initial shock wore off he looked more like he was trying to become part of the bed, sinking in the best he could. Prescott was certain that the same Kantus that took his pistol made it its duty to follow him. It looked down at the ceramic mug in its hand for a moment before tossing it next to Prescott. The Chairman took the mug, looked at it then back at the Kantus.

"Coffee," Prescott said.

The Kantus attempted to repeat the word.

"Yeah," Prescott slowly eased out of the bed at the other side without breaking his stare at the Locust before him.

It had been two hours, at the most, since his trip earlier to the kitchen.

 _'Should have dropped caffeine on them from the beginning,'_ Prescott amused himself.

The Kantus didn't take long to finish the first cup. It let out a sudden loud screech. The unexpected noise made Prescott jump.

"What did I do?!"

The Kantus let out another screech and Prescott quickly left the room. He kept glancing back to be sure the Kantus wasn't following him.

"Prescott to CIC," the chairman flipped through the different channels.

It was a hopeless attempt especially after this long.

"Lowe. Rivera. Anybody?"

The Kantus let out another screech from the break room. Prescott jumped again at the noise. He then felt someone grab the back of his armor and pulled him away from the break room.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"I believe I should be the one asking," Myrrah's voice spoke.

She shoved him into his quarters.

"Do you really think anyone is going to rescue you? Adam won't be coming to your aid. The rest of the filthy humans are dead. All of them. I didn't think your memory would be so terrible. Unless you're only capable of retaining gratifying memories," the Queen said, her lip curled into a slight smile as she spoke the last sentence.

Prescott glared at her in agitation. She was toying with him again.  
 _  
'Just a game. Two can play at that.'_

"You're doing it wrong," Prescott said as he backed into the room slightly.

"What?" Myrrah quickly snapped at him.

"I said you're doing it wrong."

Prescott had worked himself out of his armor quicker than he expected. Allowing himself to be exposed before the woman responsible for the genocide of the human race was risky. But he couldn't let her win this.

"I don't know about your Locusts," Prescott paused for a moment to pull his shirt over his head, "but it is possible for women to enjoy sex."

Myrrah only glared at Prescott for a few moments before shutting the door behind her.


	4. Acquaintances

Prescott's migraine and uneasy stomach were not letting up anytime soon. Three days had passed since the siege and there was still no contact from anyone outside the island. If anyone made it out alive it was uncertain they would return with help. It was natural to presume everyone on the island to be dead. Prescott tried to sleep but was disturbed by either the sudden noisy activity of the Locusts or the returning presence of the one Armored Kantus.

"I'm all out of options, professor," Prescott spoke into his tac comm.

The Kantus had left him alone again. The Chairman felt a small satisfaction of luck when he found the kitchen completely vacant. Most of the Locusts had left the immediate area that Prescott was being kept. He assumed they had been instructed to keep away from this kitchen's food supply as it appeared to be untouched since his last visit. Everything, save for the coffee maker. It was empty after making a second pot yesterday. But the food remained untouched. The food supply within the rest of Azura was more than enough for the horde that overran the more numerous, but unarmed, civilians.

_'And here I am because I had willingly let her take control over me for a moment.'_

Prescott grabbed a few ration bars and quickly left. If he was lucky the Armored Kantus would leave him alone long enough for a quick nap.

"Queen Myrrah has one of her Locusts personally keeping a close watch over me."

"One of her Royal Guards?" Adam asked.

"A Kantus. A heavily suited one," Prescott spoke as quietly as he could into his earpiece.

"Thought I wished it was one of her Therons instead. The Kantus keeps screaming at me without reason or warning -"

The sudden loud screech of the Kantus made Prescott jump. His finger was still pressed firmly on his communicator as he tried to block out the painful noise with his free hand over his other ear.

"Prescott?!" Adam's voice rang in Prescott's ear after the Kantus fell quiet.

Prescott didn't reply back. He turned to face the Kantus that he somehow managed to miss in his peripheral vision. The Locust didn't give Prescott much time to react as it took in another breath and screeched again. The Chairman's migraine and temper shot up quickly. He removed his hands from his ears once the Kantus was silent again and let out a mocking scream back at it.

"What is wrong with you?! Are you just trying to make me deaf?!"

The Kantus's shrieks didn't raise alarm from any of the other Locusts. But Prescott's shouts caught the attention of a number of the other Locusts nearby.

"Prescott?" Adam's voice called into Prescott's radio, "Sir, are you still there?"

Prescott could see some of the Therons standing past the Kantus staring at him. He didn't dare move and for a moment wondered if yelling back had been a terrible mistake. The Kantus straightened up slightly and crooked its neck to the side as it stared at the Chairman. The Kantus made another noise that was a lot quieter. It then looked at the coffee can it had been holding and shoved it against Prescott's chest armor. The Chairman reflexively grabbed the cannister right before the Kantus let it go and walked away. Prescott stood frozen in place, staring at the Kantus as it left to be sure it wasn't going to make any more surprises.

"Prescott!" Adam sounded panicked when he still didn't hear a response.

"I'm still here," the Chairman spoke calmly into his comm.

He then resumed his hasty walk back to his room once he was sure that he was left alone.

"You scared me! What happened?"

"The damn Kantus came back," Prescott said, locking the door behind him, "I yelled back at it this time. Which might have shocked it more than myself."

"You screamed back at it?"

"My head hurts terribly, it was an impulse."

"Sir, the Kantus determine their social order with a vocal competition. It's like their pecking order."

Prescott was speechless for a moment.

"That's not exactly a club I wish to join."

—-

The Kantus stopped shrieking at Prescott, that much he was grateful for. Though he couldn't say the same about the Kantus's persistent presence. He couldn't leave his room without the Kantus following closely. The other Locusts were still busy in converting the island into their own base. Prescott didn't see much of their work. Small groups would pass by hauling crates. Others would linger around longer with weapons in hand as if they were expecting COG reinforcements to show up. But it was the ones that moved the bodies of the former residents that uneased Prescott the most. He tried to not dwell too much on what could have been. Even if he could have gotten off the island he still couldn't save the civvies. All he could do now was think of the Locusts' current work as disease control.

_'Sera's finest, dead. And here I am having coffee.'_

The kitchen was beginning to get messy. The Kantus had learned how to brew coffee after observing Prescott. It didn't seem to care how strong the coffee was or if any of the grounds accidentally made its way into the pot. Prescott brewed the coffee at every chance he got. The thought of any Locust touching the food was just unsettling. Prescott heard another group move past the kitchen and resisted the temptation to look over his shoulder in case they were handling the dead. He remained seated, his head resting on one palm and elbows on the table, hunched over as far as his armor would let him.

_'I wonder how much different it would have been if this was still the Pendulum War. To carry away the dead enemy, an enemy of your own species. Perhaps the Locusts already know from the Lambent infection.'_

Prescott's thoughts began to drift aimlessly as his eyes gradually closed. He tried to remain alert but he eventually dozed off. His arm began to slip away from under his chin when his body relaxed slightly and it jolted him awake. The Kantus was staring at him. It pointed at the mug in front of Prescott and spoke.

"Coffee."

"No, coffee isn't going to work right now," Prescott groaned.

He pushed the cup away from himself before getting up.

"I need sleep."

The Kantus followed Prescott back to his room. The Chairman stopped right in front of the door before opening it.

"I just need five or six hours. If I can stay asleep."

He was beginning to wonder if he was wasting his time with his armor. The thing was still a pain to put on and remove, providing more irritation than peace of mind. Prescott tossed the armor on the floor next to the dresser. He then sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots and wondered if he should even try to sleep in the bed. Thinking better of it he grabbed one of the pillows and shut himself in the private bathroom. The extra door blocked out most of the noise. Prescott settled in the bathtub with the pillow. The comfort was a trade-off but maybe it would grant some undisturbed sleep.


	5. Didn't Have To

"Well, this is perfect," Prescott mumbled to himself.

He stood at the dresser after searching twice for a comm charger in his new room. The radio battery had died and his only charger was in his personal quarters. Prescott wasn't comfortable with the idea of losing contact with Adam, but the Chairman resigned from his search for now. Perhaps he'd have better luck elsewhere. He had only enough time to secure his boots when he heard the familiar clanking of metal approach the door. The Kantus had let Prescott have time to sleep, more than he had actually requested. The door opened and the Kantus peeked through it.

"Coffee," the Kantus growled lightly.

"Food sounds better right now."

The Kantus seemed confident that the Chairman would follow as it turned to walk back out towards the kitchen. Prescott grabbed his chest armor off the floor and carried it with himself. The traffic within the building had begun to quiet down considerably since the previous day. Prescott stopped for a moment in his tracks when he noticed the sound of rain. Through one of the tall lobby windows, he could see the dim morning light shine through the hard rain. It was the first storm since the Maelstrom device had been deactivated at the beginning of the raid. The Maelstrom device must have been reactivated by the look of the heavy rain against the window. Prescott's tac comm was now useless if anyone came close to the perimeter of the island. His only hope of making outside contact would be in CIC. And even if he could successfully reach CIC the Maelstrom device needed to be disabled long enough to send out a message. A loud hiss snapped Prescott out of his thoughts. One of the Therons noticed him standing in the lobby after the Kantus left him behind. Prescott only looked at the Theron for a second to acknowledge its presence before he continued to walk at a hurried pace.

After setting the coffee maker for a brew Prescott began skimming through the counter drawers. He knew the chances of finding a charger for his communicator was next to none. Yet he felt the need to check anyways. His search caught the attention of the Kantus who tilted its head slightly and made a soft noise. Prescott gave the Kantus a long look to be sure it wasn't going to screech at him.

"My radio ran out of power," Prescott pulled his earpiece up from under his shirt collar.

The communicator itself rested around his neck. It was quite a handy device that was easy to use, especially for Gears that wore helmets while on duty.

"My charger was left in my room that your Queen decided to make her own."

A low grumble bubbled up from the Kantus' chest, "Call humans?"

Prescott felt his heart race at the sound of that growl. As non-threatening as the Kantus had been over the last couple of days it was still a strong soldier of its Queen.

"I just want to stay in contact with Adam, the other human that your Queen is holding hostage," Prescott quickly explained, "My radio won't reach beyond that storm outside anyways."

The Kantus looked like it was thinking over Prescott's words. The Locust calmed down after a moment as its attention was drawn to the coffee maker. Without any sign as to whether it believed Prescott or not it took the entire pot and left the kitchen. Prescott remained still for a minute to be sure that he was completely alone now.

"Guess I'm not having any today," he muttered to himself.

Prescott went back to check the last of the drawers but found nothing other than cooking utensils. If he could look through the other bedrooms he might get lucky, but the average Azura resident never carried a personal radio. And with the way, the Kantus was questioning Prescott's search he needed to not look as suspicious as possible. Once he was done with his fruitless search Prescott began looking through the fridge. He made a mental note to start freezing some of the food as he didn't know exactly how long Myrrah planned to keep him alive. Even if the Locusts ate most of the island's food supply there was enough to last for a few weeks. Looking through the contents of the fridge Prescott found a few fresh cuts of steak. It was rare to find raw meats outside of the main kitchen since most residents never cooked their own large meals. But Prescott was not about to let a Locust find the steak first. While this was not going to taste like any of the meals he'd known for the past eighteen months it was going to be better than the ration bars.

While the steak cooked over a medium-high flame in a pan Prescott went back to checking the drawers once again. He knew that there was almost no chance of finding any power cords in the kitchen but he still felt the need to look. Prescott kept a close eye on the steak by checking on it frequently. But the one thing he forgot about was the door. From the other side of the closed door, a growl from one of the nearby Therons made Prescott jump. He quickly turned to face the door and grabbed his chest armor that he brought with him. The damned thing was still as much of a pain to fight as the first day he put it on. And the best he had at his disposal as weapons were the cooking knives. But the knives would do little apart from making any Locust angrier. With his attention divided between the door and the armor he almost forgot about the searing steak.

"Damnit!" Prescott flipped the steak over to find one side already blackened.

Prescott quickly lowered the heat to a medium-low and hoped that the rest of meat wouldn't burn. Judging by the sides it looked like the center had cooked a lot more thoroughly than he intended. If the steak turned out too tough he would just have to deal with it. Prescott finished securing the chest armor while keeping his attention completely on the stove. Not long after Prescott removed the steak from the heat came the familiar clanking of plated armor. For a few seconds, Prescott braced himself for the possibility that the smell of the steak had attracted a different Armored Kantus. He relaxed, only slightly, when he saw the half-empty coffee pot in the Kantus' grasp. It had something else in its other hand by the way it had its claws closed. After a few more steps into the kitchen, the Kantus tossed a mess of wires onto the counter next to Prescott. Keeping his attention mostly on the Kantus he grabbed the pile of wires. Prescott felt through the tangled mess until he found a familiar input plug.

"You found my radio charger," Prescott said in disbelief.

The Armored Kantus was too busy drinking the rest of the coffee out of the pot to acknowledge Prescott's statement. Maybe this was an act of gratitude for the coffee, but the Kantus went out of its way to retrieve the charger from Prescott's personal quarters. With how much absolute power the Queen demonstrated over her Locusts that move could have been a huge risk, to give a prisoner of war anything other than the bare necessities to live. Prescott put the other wires into his pocket to sort through later. He never knew if one of them would be of importance later. Once the Armored Kantus finished the coffee it sniffed at the air.

"You want this?" Prescott held out the plate with the steak, "I accidentally burned one side, but the rest of it should still be good."

The Kantus continued to sniff for a moment before taking the plate. The empty coffee pot was placed on the counter followed by the plate. With the steak in its bare hand, the Kantus tore half of the meat off with its large jaws and chewed loudly. At least the Locusts weren't picky when it came to meat. Prescott set the pot of coffee for another brew while the Kantus continued to tear at the steak. There was more meat in the fridge but he didn't want to cook again with the Kantus still in the kitchen.

"I don't suppose you could get some of my clothes from my room? I'd like to change into cleaner clothes soon."

Prescott wasn't quite sure how far he could take his luck with this Kantus. Whether it considered his question or not Prescott didn't know. Once it was satisfied with the burnt steak it left the kitchen once again. Prescott was left alone with the coffee pot still brewing. He was determined to have at least one cup before the Kantus decided to return for seconds. Prescott needed to think of another plan in the event that he couldn't get his clothes. He could find some clothes that fit him from one of the now vacant rooms. The only problem would be the lack of underwear. That was the one thing that he just couldn't fathom wearing second-hand. From that thought, his mind wandered back to the reality of the lives that no longer lived on the island. Prescott tried to remain focused on the new steak as to not burn it. There was nothing he could do about the dead. It was disturbing, really, how well he had learned to not let the past paralyze him with guilt. Prescott took only a short minute to leave the steak alone to hook up his comm radio into an outlet to begin charging.


	6. One Step Forward

After a few hours on a charge and a click of a switch, Prescott's comm radio came back to life. While it was tempting to call Adam, even this late in the night, he needed to leave Adam to his research. He was too important to Myrrah to worry about right now. Prescott, on the other hand, knew that he didn't have that same privilege. He turned the radio on receiving-only and left it on the nightstand. The Armored Kantus never returned after it ate its free, burnt steak. Not that Prescott was going to complain about having a bit of solitude. But the only thing he gained that day was his tac comm charger. He still didn't have any of his clean clothes after fours days. Prescott couldn't stand to go another day feeling the grime build upon his skin so he resigned to wearing his same clothes after a shower. It wasn't the cleanest feeling in the world but it was an improvement. The last thing Prescott wanted to add on top of his situation was to smell like a Locust. Maybe tomorrow he'd find something to scavenge. But unlike last night he wouldn't have the same luck in getting a half-decent night's sleep. Prescott felt like he had just dozed off when the noise of numerous Locusts yelling jolted him awake.

 “For fuck sake,” he groaned when he caught a glimpse of his watch.

 2:47 am. Prescott threw the other pillow over his head in a feeble attempt to muffle some of the noise. Why did they have to start that noise all over again? Once that question came to him he sat up, Why were they making so much noise all of a sudden? All he could hear were the recognizable shouts of the Kantus in a unison chorus. Were they talking to each other or sounding an alarm? In an instant, Prescott felt hope rise in his chest and he rushed to put on his boots. If Lowe and Rivera returned he prayed that they came back with adequate reinforcements. Prescott grabbed the radio on his way out the door. Outside the bedroom, the Kantus voices rang at a much higher volume. While Prescott quietly made his way towards the lobby no other Locusts could be heard among the noise. The screeches eventually died down and were replaced by the lower, guttural echoes. Prescott kept looking around his immediate area and noticed that he didn't see any of the Theron Guards. This only heightened Prescott's hope that help had arrived. As tempting as it was to send out a message through his radio to any possible allies he knew that he had to remain as quiet as possible. After passing through an empty hallway he finally found the source of the noise. A group of ten or more Kantus stood in a half circle with their faces pointed upwards. The group appeared to remain perfectly still with their jaws open wide as they cried out in unison. Whatever they were doing it wasn't to signal the presence of an enemy. None of the Kantus held any weapons from what he could see in the dimly lit room.

 “Great...” Prescott signed with his hopes squashed.

 Suddenly, one of the Therons passed by in his view. Prescott froze in place in hopes that the Locust had not heard or seen him. He could hear his own pulse pounding in his ears as he watched the Theron pass slowly out of sight. Prescott waited a few solid seconds just to be safe and then he hastily sneaked away. Whatever the Locusts were gathering for they wouldn't stay in this one place for very long. At some point, they needed to return to their assigned posts. On his way back Prescott carefully, but quickly, dashed into one of the other empty bedrooms. Without any real object in mind to what he was searching for he began rummaging through the room's contents.

  _'Something! Anything!'_

 Apart from the clothes that appeared to be the right size he didn't find anything of importance to himself. Much like the belongings that were in his new room, this one had belonged to one of the civilians. Prescott tossed a few articles of clothing onto the bed and he slumped onto the mattress. The energetic rush from the fleeting moment of hope vanished and a headache quickly followed its place. He didn't remember passing out on the bed, only that his nap was brief. The slam of the door opening and the high-pitched screech that followed immediately snapped Prescott wide awake. How the hell did he not hear that metallic clanking first?

 “I'm up! I'm up!” Prescott tried his best to shout over the scream.

 He stood on the bed and backed up a bit to create some distance between himself and the Armored Kantus. Oh, how he desired nothing more right now than to go a whole day without that Kantus trailing him. Once the Kantus ceased its scream it took in a deep breath, drawing itself up to its full height. The Locust wasn't going to make things easy. A low growl rumbled in its chest as it remained in the open doorway.

 “Protect Queen's mate.”

 There it went again, calling Prescott by that title that felt nothing less than a mark of shame.

 “I do have a name. Shit, I almost wish you'd just call me a ground walker.”

 Stepping off from the side of the bed and Prescott grabbed the small pile of clothes to bring along. But the Kantus remained unmoved from its spot. Prescott let out an exasperated sigh.

 “Fine, I'll make you another steak if it makes you happy. Just let me put these in my room first.”

 It felt like every time Prescott tried to make any progress he was brought right back to square one. The Locusts had returned to their patrols as expected during his brief nap. Obtaining a few clothes paled in comparison to any real progress he could have made in escaping the island.

  _'I need to expand my accessible range. I need to make the best of this situation and be as patient as possible.'_

 Another cut of quality steak went to Prescott's assigned guardian. If he played this just right he might be able to persuade the Kantus into letting him salvage food from other parts of the building. For now, he needed to use up the most sensitive perishables. On the shelf right above the remaining meat in the fridge were a few glass bottles of milk. Those needed to go as quickly as possible. Taking one of the bottles he poured some of the milk into his coffee mug. Strategically, it was wiser to save the coffee for the Armored Kantus. But he needed a few cups as long as the Locusts kept interrupting his sleep. A short, soft growl caught Prescott's attention. The Kantus had finished devouring the almost raw steak and was now watching Prescott with keen interest.

 “You can have the rest of it. It'll help tone down the bitterness of the coffee,” Prescott placed the bottle of milk on the counter next to the coffee maker.

The passing days were starting to form a pattern of normality. A few hours of sleep, coffee, and the same Kantus hovering over his every move. The Kantus downed half the bottle of milk in a single swing and smacked its jaws for a few seconds. It was judging the new drink just as it had with its first taste of coffee. Had Prescott been a scientist this sight would have been highly entertaining. Adam knew more about the Locusts from the many years he spent working on finding a solution to the Lambency problem on his own. The Kantus didn't mix the milk with the coffee but instead finished the glass bottle before returning to the hot beverage. Hopefully, the Kantus was satisfied for a few hours.

 “I’m going to see if the clothes I gathered earlier fit me,” Prescott said.

 What he wanted the most was to be left alone for the rest of the day. But he would be lucky if he could catch anymore sleep. His mind was still busy after the fleeting moment of hope he had earlier that morning. When Prescott began to make his way back to his room he wasn’t surprised to hear the familiar clank of armor follow closely behind.

 “Guard Queen’s mate,” the Kantus growled.

 “My name is Prescott.”

 Not that he expected the Kantus to ever call him by his name. But the statement seemed to have left the Kantus at a loss as it made a few incoherent noises. Prescott realized that it was trying to pronounce his name when he heard what sounded like “best” spoken by the Kantus.

 “I just need a few minutes to change my clothes," Prescott said before he left the Kantus on the other side of the closed door.

 Apart from the door, the only other exit from the room was the window. But the window proved to not be an option as the bedroom was on the third story. If Prescott managed to safely reach the ground he had no means of transportation off the island. All of the boats traveled under the surface and the Ravens were gone. Even if one of the ravens remained he didn't know how to pilot them. Prescott quickly changed out of the clothes he had been wearing for the past few days. Today wasn't too bad he supposed. The jeans and pullover he changed into fit almost just right. It was enough to get by for now. Prescott only had enough time to put the rest of the clothes away in the dresser before he heard the Kantus growling beyond the other side of the door.

 “I’m coming, I’m coming,” Prescott said loud enough to be heard.

 But when he opened the door he realized that the Kantus had not been growling, it was groaning. The Kantus had backed up slightly from the door like it wanted to leave but was bound by duty to stay. The tall creature was hunched over in obvious discomfort.

 “Are you alright?” Prescott hoped that it wasn’t going to turn Lambent right in front of him. He saw the Lambency activity on Vectes to know that it could mutate again at any moment. His grip remained on the bedroom door just in case he needed to quickly close the space between them.

 The Kantus coughed a few times, drool coming forth from its maw. And then it vomited.

 “Oh! Gross!” Prescott took a quick step back into the bedroom.

 The sour smell hit Prescott so hard that he had to cover his nose with his hand to stop himself from gagging. He wanted to close the door just to escape the rancid odor now. Why had the Kantus become sick all of a sudden? There was no sign of imulsion in its system from the look of the vomit, only…

 “Shit,” Prescott’s voice was muffled behind his hand, “You’re lactose intolerant.”

 The Kantus coughed a few more times with drool dripping down. Out of all the places it could have gotten sick it had to be right in front of Prescott’s door, and on the carpet!

 “No more dairy for you,” Prescott said after uncovering his face.

 “I don’t know where you Locusts are doing your business but you need to leave now.”

 Bad enough that Prescott had to clean this current mess, the last thing he wanted to handle was another mess from the other end. The Kantus, however, refused to move from its spot. Only a groan of protest came from the hunched over Kantus.

 “I’m serious! You’re going to feel worse before you’ll feel better.”

 The Kantus let out an incoherent growl. But Prescott didn't need to know the Locust language to understand what it said.

 “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. There’s a lot more of your kind in this building alone.”

 When Prescott’s words escaped his mouth he instantly looked past the Kantus and down the hall. A few Therons and a large Boomer were staring in his direction. Prescott prayed that they knew about their Queen’s order to keep him alive.

 ‘ _Shit, I’m dead! Myrrah is going to find out about this and kill me!’_

 The Kantus finally resigned to its abdominal pains and made its way down the other direction in the hall. Prescott quickly turned his attention back towards the Theron and Boomer just in time to see the Theron sprint out of sight. True panic struck Prescott at that moment.

 “Damnit!” Prescott swore to himself as he ran into the private bathroom of his bedroom hoping to find something of use to quickly clean the mess.

 


End file.
